Stay Home

My self isolation time actually started a week before the rest of Michigan. After spending most of the first 2 months sick, I asked to work from home. Thankfully my employer graciously agreed.

It didn't take long for me to feel restless and even anxious at times. I'm used to serving and helping others. That is the heart of my job. Working from home, there is very little hands on. Sure, I have been making calls and sending notes to people. But it's not the same.

Watching the news and seeing the numbers rise, made me feel helpless. Upon learning that our doctors and nurses lacked the proper PPE needed to protect themselves while they are working was just too much! I had to do something to help. Maybe I could make masks?

So I asked my daughter if I could borrow one of her sewing machines and raid her fabric. I watched several "how to" videos and began to sew a mask. After several prototypes (that is code for flops), I finally figured out a pattern that worked. Once I felt confident enough to share my work, I contacted a nurse friend and offered her some. Then another friend who took several to his wife who is a doctor. Over the past 3 weeks, I have sewn 120 masks. They have gone to health care workers near and far and of course to my family and friends.

This time off hasn't been easy but it has provided me the time I needed to heal. It has reminded me, that there is always something that can be done to help and if you can follow directions, you can do anything.